Set against Atlanta’s skyline and overlooking its Centennial Olympic Park, AccuWeather has placed a massive promotional billboard – smack dab on the home turf of its competitor The Weather Channel (headquartered in Atlanta).

The Weather Channel is regrouping after being dropped by DirecTV following a carriage dispute. From its launch in the 1980s up until recent weeks, it had operated with little or no competition. That’s changed suddenly. The start-up Denver-based Weather Nation now occupies its old slot on DirecTV.

Sensing The Weather Channel is down, AccuWeather appears to be publicly stating it’s ready to pounce. Its weather channel will launch in the third quarter this year. Stay tuned…